Homeschooling 101: Finding a System that Works for You

source: Mandi Ehman

I am just beginning this whole adventure known as homeschooling as our oldest starts kindergarten this year. While I am hardly an expert when it comes to organizing homeschooling schedules, supplies or records, I did want to share the system I’m currently using because it’s working really well for us so far. (Yes, we started school in July because we plan to school year-round, and with a new baby coming in September, now seemed like a good time to start!)

I’ve shared on my personal blog a little bit about how and why we chose the curriculum we did, so I won’t go into that here, but I will tell you that it’s built around reading great books together with supplemental workbooks for the core subjects. Because I come from a Montessori background, I add in some hands-on learning activities as well.

The Organizing Challenge

We do school at the kitchen table (or outside), and carrying everything from where we keep it to where we do school was the biggest challenge. I knew that I would get frustrated by having to gather up and carry several loads of supplies, books and workbooks from Point A to Point B every day before we could start (and then back again when we were done).

My husband and I began brainstorming for ways we could simplify this process, and then I saw these cool scrapbook totes on clearance at Walmart. They make the perfect organizers for us because each of the girls has their own with different workbooks, papers and projects inside.

When I found the larger, matching tote (although it does bug me a little that the browns are different shades!), I knew it would go well with our system, and we use it to carry our books, hands-on activities and miscellaneous papers.

The Result

With our first week behind us, I can say that I’m very, very happy with this system. Everything we need is neat and organized in the laundry room, and even though we don’t use everything every day, it’s easy to carry it all to where we’re doing school so that we’re not wasting time trying to gather supplies. The girls can each carry their own totes, and I carry the books, and we’re ready to get started without any hassle.

Do you homeschool? Do you have a system for organizing your supplies and work for the week? I’d love to hear more about it!